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Negroponte to be U.S. envoy to Iraq

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, APRIL 20. The U.S. President, George W Bush, has named John Negroponte, the American Ambassador to the United Nations as his top diplomat in Iraq, a move that was expected.

In announcing the nomination from the Oval Office Mr. Bush asserted that Iraq "will be free and democratic and peaceful."

"John Negroponte is a man of enormous experience and skill...I am comfortable in asking him to serve in this very difficult assignment. No doubt in mind he can handle it. No doubt in my mind he will do a very good job. And there is no doubt in mind that Iraq will be free and democratic and peaceful," Mr. Bush remarked. Mr. Negroponte will become the top American envoy in Baghdad after power is handed over to an interim Iraqi Government on June 30.

The present top U.S. civilian official, Paul Bremer, will be leaving Iraq after the political transition but thousands of American troops will be staying behind in the country after the handover date.

The United States is expected to have the largest diplomatic mission in Baghdad once after Mr. Negroponte has settled in. But questions are already being raised if the American mission in Baghdad under Mr. Negroponte will be under the direction of the State Department or the Pentagon.

The choice of Mr. Negroponte has been welcomed by diplomats in New York who for the most part see him as being professional and quite experienced. For instance the German envoy to the world body, Gunter Pleuger, sees Mr. Negroponte as the "right person for this very difficult and also very dangerous job".

Mr. Bush's nominee will have to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and voted on by the full Senate as a part of the confirmation process.

When Mr. Negroponte came before the Senate the last time around for the United Nations confirmation, the going was not easy. Questions were raised as to the role he played when he was American Ambassador to Honduras between 1981 and 1985.

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